The ANCA Leo Sarkisian interns participated in lectures and meetings throughout D.C., including one at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) moderated by veteran CBS News anchor Bob Schieffer. (L-R) Inna Mirzoyan, Alina Sarkissian, Schieffer, and Sevan Agopian.

The 2014 ANCA Leo Sarkisian Internship (LSI) brought together a stellar group of strong and bright Armenian women from top universities throughout the U.S. and Canada for an eight-week grassroots training session to advance Armenian-American community priorities and concerns—a Washington, D.C. boot camp for the Armenian Cause.

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren (D) with (L-R) Ani Chouldjian, Melanie Antanesian, Anahis Kechejian, Inna Mirzoyan, Sevan Agopian, and Alina Sarkissian

As we wrap up 2014, the ANCA interns take a moment to look back and share why they chose to participate in the program, what inspired them, and why fellow Armenian youth leaders should be applying for the 2015 summer session.

To learn more, and to download an application, visit http://www.anca.org/gateway.

***

Listening, Learning, and Taking Action in DC

By Anahis Kechejian

Northeastern University, Class of 2017

Back in March when I decided to spend my summer as a Leo Sarkisian Intern at the Armenian National Committee of America, I could not have anticipated what delightfully informative experiences the summer would have in store for me. As a voracious news consumer, I was excited by the prospect of meeting the newsmakers first-hand. This internship definitely delivered; during my stay I discussed issues with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), met Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), went to a POLITCO lunch where I saw the entire Cheney clan, and caught glimpses of Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), and Rep. Joseph Kennedy (D-Mass.), to name a few.

ANCA Leo Sarkisian interns and volunteers with Aram Hamparian, executive director, and Raffi Karakashian, legislative affairs director, during one of their many working visits to the Capitol.

I enjoyed traveling to Capitol Hill and witnessing how our political process works, and my inner Northeastern University spirit left Washington, D.C. with a deep found appreciation for all the hands-on experience I gained by working at the ANCA office.

Under the mentorship of ANCA Government Affairs Director Kate Nahapetian, fellow intern Alina Sarkissian and I dove headfirst into an extensive research project. We were tasked with determining the latest status on Christian properties in Turkey. Every day we asked ourselves, “In modern-day Turkey, what is it like to be a minority group?” As a science major, this type of work was completely novel territory. Reading through the State Department Report on “International Religious Freedom,” the Human Rights Report, and various news archives, I gained a thorough understanding of the current political climate in Turkey. I feel so blessed to have contributed to the growing body of evidence used by the ANCA to support our Hai Tahd agenda.

I am also very fortunate to have been close to Capitol Hill during an exciting time for Armenian-American politics. I was tasked with reporting on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing of Ambassador-designate to Turkey John R. Bass. I became engrossed in the formal exchanges between Senators and ambassador appointees, particularly the heated back and forth between Sen. John McCain and Ambassador-designate Bass, who had to be pressed—repeatedly—to condemn Turkey’s restrictions on free speech, including the recent bans on YouTube and Twitter. This sudden eruption of passion is the reason people get hooked on politics.

Alina and I got a small dose of this excitement with our second project: managing the 2014 ANCA Congressional Candidate Questionnaire outreach campaign. We sent out questionnaires, wrote e-mails, made phone calls, and targeted specific primary races, all in an effort to find out the candidates’ stance on important Armenian-American issues. Our work led to better educating our community about the candidates running for Congress in their neighborhoods so that they can make more informed choices in the ballot box. Although there is little glamour in calling campaign offices, sending faxes, and embarking on the grueling journey that is “mail merge,” I returned to Boston with a new set of developed skills that can definitely be applied to work situations in the future.

Aside from doing things, there is value in listening. I joined Nahapetian at a meeting with Louisiana Congressman Bill Cassidy’s staff, discussing their concern areas where the Congressman and community can work together. Nahapetian was eloquent in her presentation—concise yet informative, direct yet articulate. There is an art to communicating foreign policy concerns effectively, a fact I have come to appreciate while in Washington. I never thought my science-oriented self would ever enjoy the nuances of foreign affairs. This internship handed me the perfect opportunity to embrace something completely outside my comfort zone. How could I pass up the chance to explore this major aspect of the Armenian Cause?

As an active member of the Armenian community, I felt it was important to understand Hai Tahd through a more matured and holistic lens. Between research on Turkey, sitting in on a State Department discussion on Syria, and interacting with the local Armenian community, I definitely feel inspired to further our Cause. The Leo Sarkisian Internship was the perfect impetus for taking that next step.

***

Armenian Women Belong in the House…and in the Senate

By Inna Mirzoyan

Michigan State University, Class of 2014

It started as a sunny day and followed by gloomy setting of rain, but the rally for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) initiated by Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) and Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) did not lose any momentum on July 24, 2014. The weather that day symbolized the journey women in American history have endured. While women have accomplished many achievements, the ERA rally made it clear that unity is key to continuing the fight against work discrimination, limited healthcare options for contraceptives, and the rising sexual assault instances in addition to many other arenas where women still are not treated as equals.

Interning in Washington, D.C. as part of the ANCA Leo Sarkisian Internship Program gave this year’s participants—all women—the opportunity to add our collective voices to the rally, standing alongside Congresswoman Speier and equal rights advocacy groups such as the National Organization for Women (NOW) and the Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF). Earlier in the week, Congresswoman Speier had reached out asking if our ANCA LSI group would like to join in—and we were a unanimous “yes.” I was excited to get a chance to grab the microphone and say where we are from, in addition to noting that this year we were an all-female intern group. Women in Armenia have begun to raise their voices for equal rights and here in Washington—continents away—we were speaking in one voice.

Congresswoman Jackie Speier, a proud daughter of the Armenian nation, is an inspiration to me. She has been a leader on Armenian Genocide reaffirmation and education efforts since her days in the California State legislature. Since her election to Congress in 2008, Speier has continued to be outspoken on the full range of Armenian-American concerns.

But, on July 24, I saw a different side of Speier. The fact that women represent less than 20 percent of the U.S. House of Representatives clearly wasn’t slowing her down as she spoke passionately on the Supreme Court steps for women’s rights and social justice. Armenians have been fighting for justice throughout our history, from the struggle for an independent Armenia, to freedom for Artsakh, affirmation and reparations for the Armenian Genocide, and minority rights for our communities around the world. Women’s rights are just another sector of human rights that I have always believed in, and being an Armenian is one of the biggest reasons I feel so strongly about equality.

While at the ERA event, I learned the importance of public rallies. Gathering like-minded individuals in one place sparks a certain energy that is only strengthened when everyone agrees with each other. In this setting, I also learned how helpful coalition building is to facilitating such a movement. The organizers were happy to see women from all sections of society join in at the rally. The speakers focused a great deal on expanding the movement to encompass all aspects of society, including like-minded men. It’s a message I took to heart in expanding the Armenian cause. My fellow interns and I have been exploring ways we can expand coalitions on Armenian-American concerns—reaching out to human rights groups in advancing issues dealing with Artsakh self-determination; working with teachers regarding genocide education; teaming up with our Greek and Assyrian friends in the for the fight for the return of Turkey’s confiscated Christian holy sites. The coalition-building possibilities are endless; some are already being explored, and other avenues still need to tapped.

July 24 was an important teaching moment, coming to us straight from the steps of the Supreme Court, with Rep. Speier at the lead.

***

American Politics through the Eye of a Canadian

By Sevan Agopian

York University, Class of 2014

On my flight to Washington, D.C., I had one very clear goal in mind: learn as much as I can and cease every opportunity. Growing up with the strong influence of Hai Tahd, it was clear to me that the Leo Sarkisian Internship would be a perfect fit. Living in one of the greatest cities in the world, working with amazing leaders, and fighting for a cause which is my lifelong passion was the greatest reason for me to apply for the Leo Sarkisian Internship at the ANCA headquarters.

I constantly strive to learn more and take every opportunity so that I can be a leader and make a positive difference both in Vancouver and the Toronto AYF communities. Looking back at the eight weeks of being in one of the liveliest cities in the world, it’s difficult to choose one memorable highlight. However, it’s not until you actually step foot inside Capitol Hill, even as a Canadian, that you truly grasp the reality, struggle, and difficulties of the world of international politics today.

The Armenian National Committee has long been fighting for the Armenian Cause at both a state and international level. Their work may be different day to day, but the drive, commitment, and goals stay the same.

One would believe that being involved with the AYF (since I could walk) would have prepared me for the hearings on democracy in Turkey and on House Resolution 4347 (the “Turkey Christian Churches Accountability Act”), brunch with former Vice President Dick Cheney, protesting with Congresswoman Jackie Speier and Carolyn Maloney on the Equal Rights Amendment, or witnessing Sen. John McCain pressuring the Turkish ambassador nominee. I have learned that as a Canadian, supporting the mission of the Armenian National Committee of America, it’s important to understand and immerse yourself in the field of public policy. Working with the ANCA truly showed me the amount of dedication and activism it takes to simply bring our issues to Congress. In order to pass H.R. 4347, we had to ensure that all possible constituents had reached out to their Members of Congress in support of the bill. Educating and motivating both policy-makers and citizens is just half of the work that goes on behind the scenes at the ANCA office, which is extraordinary to be a part of, no matter your citizenship.

As a Canadian being immersed in the heart of American politics, it was interesting to see how different Representatives addressed the topic of genocide on Capitol Hill. Congressman Albio Sires (D-N.J.) referred to genocide perpetrators as “thugs” during the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee meeting on human rights in Turkey. Congressman Chris Smith (R-N.J.) slammed on the desk in frustration as he recounted a threat made by a former Turkish ambassador if the U.S. were to recognize the Armenian Genocide, during a hearing that Smith chaired. We could feel the intensity that filled the room.

And then there were Members of Congress like Turkey Caucus Co-Chair Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) essentially whitewashing Turkey’s human rights record. Listening to each of these House Members, you get a real sense of how far we have come as a community in advancing truth—and the hurdles we have yet to overcome.

Though the eight-week long internship may be done, the cause and movement never ends. I left D.C. with a more open and clear mind about why the candle to signify our cause will and must never die. We need to keep the fire lit and strong as we continue to fight, educate and advocate for justice for generations to come.

***

The Second Army of the Armenian Nation

By Tamar Anna Alexanian

Vanderbilt University, Class of 2016

One afternoon, while working on my individual project as an ANCA Leo Sarkisian Intern, Yeghisapet Chouldjian, the communications director at the ANCA office, turned to me and said, “Let’s add the phrase ‘second army of the Armenian Nation.’ People refer to the ANCA in that way.” I added it to the document I was working on and moved on to the next page of editing.

A week or so later, I was still reflecting on this phrase. The more I thought about it, the more it struck me as absolutely accurate. The staff here at the office acts as the leadership—the generals, the captains—for this so-called army. Some days we get here as the sun is coming up and are here long after the sun has set; some afternoons are spent sweating profusely on the steps of Capitol Hill at a protest; some days, the office receives a hasty phone call and, with barely any notice, we have to be ready to head out, notepads, pens, and paperwork clutched in hand.

I have been incredibly fortunate to learn from these leaders—as a student, an intern, an Armenian, an American, and a warrior in this second army for the Armenian Nation. The most profound lesson that these leaders have taught me is the lesson of humility. In an office with only a handful of full-time staff members, everyone has to pitch in to make things work. Everyone washes dishes, everyone makes the coffee, and everyone hides messy-looking paperwork in empty drawers before company comes to the office. In the same vein of thought, the Leo Sarkisian Interns have been asked to act in the same manner, held to the same standard. When we dirty dishes, we must wash them; when we spill something, we must clean it. But I expected that when I came to Washington, D.C. (or anywhere, I suppose).

What came as a surprise was the amount of responsibility that we were given. When there was a vote in the House of Representatives for the Turkey Christian Churches Accountability Act, we called hundreds of constituents to ask for their support; when we needed PR work done for the office, we started posting on various social media sites; when Congressmen needed—and still need—to be held accountable, we went through a year of Armenian newspapers and sent them copies to show that Armenians, indeed, care about what they do.

Unlike any other internship I would have applied for this summer, I did not spend my time getting Starbucks coffee for my boss or making endless amounts of copies in the backroom. Instead, I trained to be a leader—a warrior—for my people, under the guidance and leadership of the most dedicated and most inspirational generals.

The leaders here march to the rhythm of Capitol Hill, but, if you listen closely, the songs of our homeland can be heard between the beats. They encourage and inspire me—and all of us—to march to this rhythm, to march beside them, but to always listen for the underlying melody.

***

A Look Back: The Journey of an ANCA Intern

By Alina Sarkissian

California State University, Northridge, Class of 2015

Every summer, the ANCA welcomes a select group of college students to intern at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. The students come from different backgrounds, geographically, but share the same purpose—the pursuit of Hai Tahd. The internship program is an opportunity to witness the work that goes into successfully translating the Armenian plight into legislation that the United States federal government will fully support and aid. From creating social media campaigns to meeting with Members of Congress about the situation in Artsakh, the ANCA does it all—and for eight short weeks, the Leo Sarkisian Interns get to work side-by-side with their superiors to see how it all gets done.

When I first heard about this internship, I was sitting in my ice-cold dormitory (the building’s air-conditioning system was stuck at an arctic temperature that day) on a humid June evening at the University of Maryland, College Park. The university was hosting the 2013 National Conference for College Women Student Leaders, and I had just concluded my presentation at the conference on behalf of my college, California State University, Northridge. The sentimentality of the moment had ignited a surge of passion, excitement, and resolve in me, and I made a promise to myself that evening to utilize these emotions towards benefiting my community in Glendale.

Two months later, I was accepted into the internship program at the Western Region office of the Armenian National Committee, and exactly one year later, I found myself on a plane to Washington, D.C., ready to begin my journey with the ANCA’s LSI program. It was a journey that would provide me with lifelong friends, skill sets I could tailor towards benefiting my career, and an abundance of joyous memories.

This year’s LSI class was especially lucky. From day one of the internship, we were immersed in political events that allowed us to participate in federal committee hearings and in meetings with numerous Members of Congress. One of the highlights of this eight-week experience in D.C. was witnessing the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs discuss and vote for the passage of H.R. 4347, or the “Turkey Christian Churches Accountability Act.” My knowledge of the federal legislative system amplified after attending related hearings for that bill, and I also gained a newfound respect for certain Congressmen who work across the aisle of where my political beliefs lie. The experience has reminded me once more of the importance of unification. Change for the Armenian-American community will only occur if our voices collectively demand for it from both sides of the aisle.

Through the LSI program, young Armenian adults from widely different backgrounds are brought together to enhance themselves on a professional and altruistic level. While we engaged in Hai Tahd, we were also submerged in a string of lectures to help us improve our qualities as a community leader. I truly enjoyed having the chance to converse and brainstorm with Ken Hachikian, the chairman of the ANCA, about how we could help our respective Armenian communities once the internship ended. As the president of the CSUN Armenian Students Association—arguably one of the largest ASAs in the country—and an active member of the All-Armenian Students Association for the past two years, I am constantly challenged by the thought of how to encourage more involvement in the young adults around me. Hachikian worked with me on creating an outline of strategies and tips on how to lessen this problem, and I look forward to translating that experience into a presentation I can give to other ASAs in Southern California.

The summer of 2014 was certainly one of my greatest ever, but there was one reason for that, above everything else. I learned that, in the grandesque, controversial, and deliciously frenzied city of Washington, D.C., a little Armenia had been born. Thanks to the efforts of Aram Hamparian, Elizabeth Chouldjian, Kate Nahapetian, and Raffi Karakashian, I was able to absorb inspiration and hope for the Armenian Cause. They are four of the most humble and hard-working Armenian Americans I have ever met, and they also introduced me to the other incredible Armenians who are tirelessly fighting for the same cause all around the country. For eight weeks, I was granted the privilege of working with some of the most dedicated Armenian leaders in the country. I also gained friendships with some of the other interns in the office that I know will last for the rest of my life. Regardless of where life takes me in my travels, I will strive to grow as an openhearted, passionate leader for my homeland and for my people.

***

Standing with Artsakh

By Ani S. Chouldjian

Lowell High School, Class of 2017

This summer I interned at the ANCA where I was able to see first-hand how the ANCA and the Armenian-American community work together to advance our cause. I am still in high school, so I wasn’t eligible for the ANCA Leo Sarkisian Internship (just yet), but the interns were a wonderful group of strong and bright women—and they were kind enough to adopt me as one of their own during my stay in D.C.

It was a great experience overall, where I learned many new things, especially about the Nagorno Karabagh Republic (Artsakh) and its efforts to grow a strong democracy and economy, despite Azerbaijan’s constant threats and attacks.

One of the projects I was tasked with was preparing a student resource guide for high school students about Artsakh. Exactly one day after finishing the document, on July 31, word came in about the devastating attack on the Artsakh-Azerbaijan border that resulted in the death of two of our army officers: Ashot Asoyan and Ararat Khanoyan, both in their 20s. The two were holding off Azerbaijani troops until reinforcements came to repel the attack, and gave their lives to hold the line.

A day later, on Aug. 1, the Azerbaijani forces attacked again. This time the Artsakh soldiers counterattacked and were able to protect themselves. In the end, between the 2 incidents, there were 16 casualties (2 Armenian and 14 Azerbaijani) and 30 people injured—the worst fighting since the ceasefire in 1994.

In the face of these attacks, the international response was frustrating and disappointing, particularly seeing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group unfairly blaming both Artsakh and Azerbaijan for the attacks, basically letting Azerbaijan off the hook. According to the OSCE Minsk Group, they are not blaming Azerbaijan alone because they want to be fair to all sides. I think Azerbaijan’s oil resources have more to do with their decision.

The most important thing I learned at the ANCA is how they deal with big crises like these terrible attacks on Artsakh. As soon as the news came through, they reached out to the OSCE’s U.S. representative, Ambassador James Warlick, warning that the OSCE’s inaction could lead to more fighting and, possibly, full-scale war. Then the ANCA rallied our community to send letters to the OSCE Minsk Group urging them to publicly call on Azerbaijan to stop the attacks on Karabagh and Armenia. So many people participated—sending e-mails, making phone calls, using Twitter and Facebook—and with each step made our community’s appeal stronger.

The bond between the ANCA and the Armenian community is extremely important to move the Armenian Cause forward—and this grassroots efforts in support of Artsakh was a great example of that. I went home not only with a better understanding of Armenia, Artsakh, and broader issues, but also of how the U.S. government and democracy work, and our role—my role—in shaping our collective future.

The post The DC Life: ANCA Leo Sarkisian Interns Look Back at a Summer of Commitment to Cause and Community appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

NEW YORK—Journalists Laure Marchand, Guillaume Perrier, David Barsamian, and Robert Fisk are among the confirmed speakers at “Responsibility 2015,” the international conference marking the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, to be held on March 13-15, 2015, at New York’s Marriott Marquis Hotel.

Guillaume Perrier and Laure Marchand (Photo by Laurent Melikian)

Laure Marchand is a French journalist and writer. From 2005-14, she was a regional correspondent in Istanbul for “Le Figaro” daily and “Le Nouvel Observateur.” She is the co-author, with Laure Marchand, of the award-winning book La Turquie et le Fantôme Arménien (Actes Sud, 2013), a compelling portrait of the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide, also published in Turkish by Iletisim (2014), and now in English with the title, Turkey and the Armenian Ghost, by McGill Queen University Press (2015). Also in 2015, the book will be adapted into a documentary film and a comic strip.

Guillaume Perrier is a French journalist, writer, and radio reporter. From 2005-14, he was an Istanbul-based correspondent for “Le Monde.” His articles have appeared in GEO, the Guardian, and other publications. An expert in Turkish politics and Kurdish affairs, he has reported from throughout the region, particularly Syria and Iraq. He is the co-author, with Marchand, of the award-winning book La Turquie et le Fantôme Arménien.

David Barsamian is a wide-ranging investigative journalist who has made significant contributions to America’s independent media landscape with his weekly radio show Alternative Radio, now in its 28th year, and his books with Noam Chomsky, Eqbal Ahmad, Howard Zinn, Tariq Ali, Richard Wolff, Arundhati Roy, and Edward Said. His best-selling books with Chomsky have been translated into many languages. Barsamian lectures on world affairs, imperialism, the state of journalism, censorship, the economic crisis, and global rebellions. He is the winner of the Media Education Award, the ACLU’s Upton Sinclair Award for independent journalism, and the Cultural Freedom Fellowship from the Lannan Foundation. The Institute for Alternative Journalism named him one of its Top Ten Media Heroes.

Robert Fisk’s participation was announced earlier. Fisk is the Middle East correspondent of the Independent newspaper. He holds numerous awards for journalism, including two Amnesty International UK Press Awards and seven British International Journalist of the Year awards. During the 30 years he has been reporting on the Middle East, he has covered every major event in the region, from the Algerian Civil War to the Iranian Revolution, from the hostage crisis in Beirut to the Iran-Iraq War, from the Russian invasion of Afghanistan to Israel’s invasions of Lebanon, and from the Gulf War to the invasion and ongoing war in Iraq. His books include The Great War for Civilization: the Conquest of the Middle East.

Earlier, the organizers had announced the names of other confirmed speakers, including Jurist Geoffrey Robertson, actor and playwright Eric Bogosian, photojournalist Scout Tufankjian, novelist Chris Bohjalian, and scholars Richard Hovannisian, Debórah Dwork, Raymond Kévorkian, Roy L. Brooks, Elisa Von Joeden-Forgey, Janna Thompson, and Jermaine McCalpin.

The “Responsibility 2015” Conference is being organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Eastern U.S. Centennial Committee, under the auspices of the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee of America, Eastern Region.

Evening sessions bringing together policymakers, political leaders, artists, and celebrities known for their activism and humanitarian work will highlight the theme of responsibility to confront past injustices and the struggle towards preventing new ones.

The conference begins with a plenary sessions on Friday March 13 and the final panel concludes on March 15 at 4:30p.m. Registration will open in February.

Photography and art exhibits with the theme of survival will be held at the same venue for the duration of the conference.

The organizing committee is comprised of the following scholars and activists: Khatchig Mouradian and Hayg Oshagan, co-chairs; George Aghjayan, Kim Hekimian, Antranig Kasbarian, Sarkis Balkhian and Henry Theriault.

For periodic updates, please contact conference coordinator Maral Choloyan at info@responsibility2015.org, visit the conference Facebook page or the conference website.

The post International Cast of Journalists to Speak at Centennial Conference in NY appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

WASHINGTON—The Ambassador of France to the United States has clarified, to leaders of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), remarks he made earlier this week on the MSNBC show Andrea Mitchell Reports that could have been misinterpreted as giving legitimacy to the denial of the Armenian Genocide.

In a communication to ANCA National Chairman Ken Hachikian and ANCA National Board member Raffi Hamparian, Ambassador Gerard Araud affirmed the fact that France has officially recognized the Armenian Genocide and his personal conviction that the Armenian Genocide constituted the first genocide in modern history.

“I am aware that some of my recent declarations have been misinterpreted as giving legitimacy to the denial of the Armenian Genocide,” Amb. Araud told the ANCA. “Nothing could [be] further from me. Not only does France recognize officially the Armenian Genocide but I have been myself bred in a city – Marseilles – with a vibrant Armenian community where I had a lot of friends. I have always been personally convinced that the sufferings inflicted on the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire constituted the first genocide in modern history. I hope this message will dispel any doubt that you could have on this topic.”

Prior to becoming the Ambassador of France to the United States, Araud served as the permanent pepresentative of France to the Security Council and head of the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations. He served as the president of the Security Council in February 2010, May 2011, August 2012 and December 2013.

“We welcome Ambassador Araud’s clarification of his comments regarding the Armenian Genocide,” remarked ANCA Communications Director Elizabeth Chouldjian. “Under President Francois Hollande and previous leaders, France has been a forceful and effective advocate in the global campaign to end Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide. In this year of the Armenian Genocide centennial, their vigilance and active leadership is all the more critical in the pursuit of justice for this crime.”

The controversy over Ambassador Araud’s comments on the Armenian Genocide arose over an appearance he made on the Andrea Mitchell Reports show on MSNBC on Jan. 12. On that show, host Andrea Mitchell began a conversation about free speech in which she remarked, “The tradition of free speech… it all began in France during the 1700’s and 18th century. But there are laws in France, laws that say you cannot deny the Holocaust, laws that say you cannot deny the Armenian Genocide. So why is it permissible to be as provocative as these anti-Muslim cartoons were. This is a debate we are having journalistically here in the United States as well,” Mitchell added.

In response to Andrea Mitchell’s question, Ambassador Araud stated: “Actually, on the Armenian Genocide there is no law about the denial of the Armenian Genocide. There is only one law about the denial of the Holocaust. Because it is not an opinion. The Holocaust took place. So, you know, you do not express an opinion when you say the Holocaust did not take place. It is a fact.”

Video of the Andrea Mitchell Reports interview is available at: http://youtu.be/MtZpawxTuC4

Moments after Ambassador Araud’s comments, the ANCA social media pages erupted with concerns and calls from Armenian Americans and elected officials alike, demanding a clarification. Similar concerns were shared by the French Armenian community, prompting a strongly worded letter by the Bureau Francais de la Cause Armenienne (BFCA – ANC France) to French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius asking for an immediate explanation. The text of the BFCA letter (in French) is attached.

France officially recognized the Armenian Genocide in 2001 with the adoption of law 2001-70. Last year, on April 24, President Francois Hollande joined the French Armenian community’s commemoration, offering powerful remarks condemning this crime and calling for the end of Turkey’s denial. President Hollande will be travelling to Armenia on April 24, 2015, to participate in Genocide centennial activities.

The post French Ambassador to the U.S. Clarifies Armenian Genocide Comment on MSNBC with ANCA Leaders appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

Special for the Armenian Weekly

My first encounter with Yerevan’s curious accordion-playing visitor took place as I descended the stairs into the cavernous communal area in front of the Hanrapetutyan Hraparak (Republic Square) metro stop that was once a joyful place of gathering during the city’s Soviet years. Locating the source of the music, I was surprised to find a tall and slender boyish figure behind the massive instrument, donning baggy clothes and Birkenstocks. Always intrigued by the unfamiliar, I introduced myself.

I found that the young Frenchman had an interesting story. He was on a mission, which he called “Un voyage en Accordéonistan.” His goal was to travel to countries all along the Silk Road playing his accordion with the hopes of ending in China, where his ancient instrument was allegedly born.

A Frenchman from Paris with formal training in engineering, Seguy has been traveling across the Silk Road for the past five months. He has been making a living as a street accordionist, and his journey recently brought him to Armenia.

On the way, however, he was making recordings of musicians he met to “curate” the traditional music of these countries, much like Western European ethnomusicologists of the mid-19th century did in an effort to inspect, dissect, and curate “Middle Eastern-ness” (with, might I add, little consideration to the ethics or the consequences involved in doing so).

Despite my skepticism about his efforts to distill our culture, when I found out he was a seasoned street musician, I immediately wondered how Yerevan’s climate for street performance compared to that of other neighboring countries he’d been to. I quickly realized it was useless to try to compare Yerevan’s streets with those of any other cosmopolitan city’s, along the Silk Road or otherwise.

Séguy’s answers to my questions were rather bland. In all honesty, I found many of his opinions about Middle Eastern cultures quite Orientalist and Euro-centric. He was hesitant to compare his experience in Yerevan to other cities, particularly because he had just come from Istanbul, which had resulted in the three-month-long formation of a band with local Turkish street musicians.

Before his trip to Armenia, Seguy’s travels brought him to Istanbul, a place with a vibrant independent music scene. While his trip there was meant to last two weeks, it ended up being a three-month-long stay when he formed a band, touring the country with local Turkish street musicians.

I did, however, want to take advantage of the young accordion player’s time in Yerevan to answer some of the questions I’ve had about street performance here. In my opinion, the nature of street culture of cosmopolitan cities brings to mind the age-old scenario: the chicken or the egg? Is a city’s progressive and active street culture a symptom of an already strong economy? Or do active streets provide much-needed catalysts to boost a developing economy? The best way, I decided, to find out about some Yerevan-specific obstacles was to experiment for myself.

A classical musician by training, I learned from a young age that when I performed music, my audience should not be permitted to speak or make any noise (unless, of course, I was practicing, in which case I would be condemned to solitude). Not even spontaneous expressions of joy were acceptable. That is why when I decided to spontaneously showcase a musical act with Séguy in Yerevan’s Republic Square, I was entering new territory on so many levels. It was a chance to break the code of conduct in a place where the code of conduct once reigned supreme: post-Soviet Armenia.

It was a warm Saturday evening in September and by the time we started, it was about 11 p.m. I sang in French lyrics because those were songs that Séguy knew. This, however, limited our repertoire significantly, and “Autumn Leaves” may or may not have been played repeatedly. Locals walking by (particularly male) demonstrated immense curiosity about our act.

Seguy and I during my debut as a street performer, at the fountain in Yerevan’s Republic Square.

Questions ranged from innocently curious to downright invasive; from politically neutral to offensively nationalistic. Where were we from? Was I living here? If I was from the U.S., had I lost my mind moving here? Was I Armenian? Why was I singing in French? Why wasn’t I singing in Armenian? Didn’t I love the motherland?

But perhaps the question they asked with the most urgency was why was I, a female, playing music on the streets? Was I poor? Did I need the money? Because I couldn’t find a job, like the rest of the city? I was approached by one man in particular who asked for my phone number and, upon being rejected several times, stated in Armenian the infallible logic: “I am a man, you are a woman. Give me your number.”

That night, we made 300 dram, the equivalent of 75 cents, which we split evenly between the two of us. That’s pretty bad, even for an economy in transition like Yerevan’s. Séguy said that during rush hour, though, if he played Edith Piaf’s “Sous le ciel de Paris” (a tune he learned solely to satisfy local Yerevanians’ musical palettes), he could make around 7,000 dram in an hour. That’s about $17. In a country where the average monthly salary is $350, that is the power of playing French-sounding music.

To me, the entire experience demonstrated several things: There is a demand in Yerevan (as there is in most places) for that which is not ordinary. The unfamiliar makes people uncomfortable and react inappropriately (i.e., the invasive interrogation and sexual harassment experienced). Because people are reacting with, at times, appalling behavior to something as innocuous as street performance (and even acts like exercising or running on the street garner expressions of disgust and shock from locals), this is an indicator that the progressiveness of Armenia’s society is lagging behind. This is all the more reason to stimulate street culture.

I don’t think one spontaneous act of street performance makes me an expert on street culture in Yerevan. More importantly, I don’t think I’ve been living in Yerevan long enough to have earned the authority to assess the situation with the level of nuance and appreciation it deserves.

I do, however, find street performance to be an important piece of Armenia’s contemporary moment and believe it warrants more attention than it currently gets. If not for our own self-enjoyment, as local inhabitants of this developing city, than at least to protect ourselves from the West—whose hungry eyes and ears are continually capitalizing on our cultural “offerings.”

We should be more aware of the notion that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The West continues the age-old tradition of collecting, as they did on the Silk Road, exotic spices—this time, musical ones—that we take for granted. And they leave with heavy pockets, while ours are empty, offering us little in return but their presence on our strangely silent streets.

Despite his short stay, Seguy did ingratiate himself rather quickly with Yerevan’s small street music scene. Here he plays alongside some of the more regular performers that frequent Yerevan’s popular Northern Avenue.

The post Yerevan’s Strangely Silent Streets appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

YEREVAN (A.W.)—In a strongly worded letter, President Serge Sarkisian on Jan. 16 responded to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s invitation to Turkey on April 24, to attend commemoration ceremonies marking the centennial of the WWI Gallipoli campaign.

President Serge Sarkisian (Photo: Official website of the President of Armenia)

“Turkey continues its conventional denial policy and is ‘perfecting’ its instrumentation for distorting history. This time, Turkey is marking the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli on April 24, even though the battle began on March 18, 1915 and lasted until late January 1916; while the allies’ operation started on April 25,” wrote Sarkisian, adding, “What is the purpose [of this] if not to distract the world’s attention from the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide?”

According to Hurriyet Daily, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has also sent invitation letters to his counterparts. A Turkish government official has told Hurriyet that Erdogan sent the invitation to Sarkisian because Armenians, among other ethnic groups, also fought at Gallipolli as part of the Ottoman army. “We fought together in Gallipolli. That’s why we have extended the invitation to Sarkisian as well,” the official was quoted as saying.

In his letter, Sarkisian chose to highlight the case of one Armenian, artilleryman Captain Sarkis Torosyan who loyally served in the Ottoman Army and fought in the Battle of Gallipoli and in return met a bloody end, while his family was brutally massacred and deported. “The wave of massacres and forceful deportations planned and perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenian people also led to the death of Sargis Torosyan; his parents were among the 1.5 million victims of the Genocide; while his sister perished in the Syrian Desert,” wrote Sarkisian.

“Peace and friendship must first be hinged on the courage to confront one’s own past, historical justice and universal memory,” continued Sarkisian. The President also called on Erdogan to substantiate his calls for world peace by calling on the world to recognize the Genocide. “Each of us has a duty to transmit the real story to the future generations and prevent the repetition of crimes and prepare the ground for rapprochement and future cooperation between peoples, especially neighboring peoples,” added Sarkisian.

Erdogan has sent invitations to more than 100 heads of states. According to Turkish sources, Britain’s Prince Charles and his two sons will be present at the ceremonies commemorating the Battle of Gallipoli, so will Australia’s and New Zealand’s prime ministers. Around 8,500 Australians and 2,000 New Zealanders are also expected to participate in the April 24 ceremonies. On April 23, a “Summit of Peace” is reportedly being planned to mark the 95^th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish Parliament.

Meanwhile, during a joint press conference with Azerbaijani Preisdent Ilham Aliyev on Jan. 15, Erdogan said, “We sent invitations to many heads of states and governments for April, 24. We will be together with my brother İlham Aliyev on April, 24 in Çanakkale.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greeted Azeri President Ilham Aliyev on Jan. 15, in the presence of 16 soldiers dressed in ceremonial costumes representing various Turkic people in history. (Photo: Official website of the President of Turkey)

Below is the text of Sarkisian’s letter to Erdogan.

***

Dear Mr. President,

I received your invitation to participate in the commemoration ceremonies marking the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli.

World War I is one of the darkest pages of human history, which resulted in the loss of millions of innocent lives and the mutilation of destinies.

Armenian artilleryman, Captain Sargis Torosyan joined the troops of the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Gallipoli and was an officer who was dedicated to ensuring the defense and security of the Empire. For his loyal service and sacrifices, he had received military honors. That same year, however, the wave of massacres and forceful deportations planned and perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenian people also led to the death of Sargis Torosyan. Torosyan’s parents were among the 1.5 million victims of the Genocide, while his sister perished in the Syrian Desert.

It was as a result of that unprecedented massacre that Rafael Lemkin coined the term “genocide,” and it was the impunity of that crime that prepared the ground for the Holocaust and the genocides in Rwanda, Cambodia, and Darfur.

According to you, the Battle of Gallipoli symbolize—not only for Turkey, but for the entire world—friendly relations that were borne out of war; while the battlefield is a reminder of the bitter consequences of war and a memorial to peace and friendship. Leaving aside the significance of the Battle of Gallipoli or Turkey’s disputable role during WWI and WWII, we need to remember that peace and friendship must first be hinged on the courage to confront one’s own past, historical justice and universal memory.

Alas, Turkey continues its conventional denial policy and is “perfecting” its instrumentation for distorting history. This time, Turkey is marking the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli on April 24, even though the battle began on March 18, 1915 and lasted until late January 1916; while the allies’ operation started on April 25. What is the purpose [of this] if not to distract the world’s attention from the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide? Turkey had a much more important duty to its own people and humanity: the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and its condemnation.

Therefore, I would advise you to remember in your calls for world peace to make a call to the world to recognize the Armenian Genocide and commemorate the 1.5 million innocent victims. Each of us has a duty to transmit the real story to the future generations and prevent the repetition of crimes and prepare the ground for rapprochement and future cooperation between peoples, especially neighboring peoples.

P.S. Your Excellency, a couple of months ago, I invited you to Yerevan to respect the memory of the innocent martyrs of the Armenian Genocide together on April 24, 2015. Armenians don’t accept being hosted by the guest without receiving a response to the guest’s invitation first.

The post Sarkisian: Turkey Is Perfecting Distortion of History appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

PARIS (A.W.)—Funeral services were held this week at the Armenian Cathedral of Marseille for Michaël Assaturyan, a 16-year-old French-Armenian student who was murdered on Jan. 12, reported Nouvelles d’Armenie. An estimated 2,500 people gathered on Jan. 16 to march and mourn the loss of the teenager; sources put the number at as high as 4,000.

An estimated 2,500 people gathered on Jan. 16 to march and mourn the loss of the teenager (Photo credit: Nouvelles d’Armenie)

Among those present were Mayor of Marseille Jean-Claude Gaudin, along with Deputies Didier Parakian and Martine Vassel, Parliamentarian Valerie Boyer, Senators Jean-Noel Guerini and Bruno Gilles, Member of the French National Assembly Dominique Tian, and Councilman Garo Hovsepian, as well as leaders of the Armenian community—from clergy to political activists.

Michaël Assaturyan

Assaturyan, who attended high school in Marseille, was killed on Jan. 12 just outside school grounds. The suspects are two brothers—17 and 18 years old—who attacked Assaturyan after their sister had an argument with him during a basketball game in gym class. Assaturyan was stabbed four times, cutting a main artery, revealed French police.

Both brothers surrendered to police. According to sources, the younger brother has a violent record that includes robbery and assault, for which he was imprisoned in 2013. Police also have the sister in custody, reported Nouvelles d’Armenie.

The march was in response to a call by the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF).

Marching down Marseille’s historic La Canebière in the old quarter of Marseille, mourners gathered at the Old Port around a large chalk drawing of an Armenian cross encircled with flowers, and the words, “Je suis Michaël” (“I am Michael”) above it. White roses in hand, some wore shirts that read “Misha,” short for Michaël; others held signs that read, “I am Michaël.”

A scene from the funeral service (Photo credit: Nouvelles d’Armenie)

(Photo credit: Nouvelles d’Armenie)

(Photo credit: Nouvelles d’Armenie)

(Photo credit: Nouvelles d’Armenie)

(Photo credit: Nouvelles d’Armenie)

The post Funeral and March Held for Murdered French-Armenian Teenager appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

WASHINGTON—The efforts of Near East Relief (NER), the unprecedented American campaign of international humanitarian assistance that saved and sustained hundreds of thousands of Armenian Genocide survivors from 1915-30, was spotlighted last week at a Capitol Hill briefing hosted by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

Central Valley Congressman Jim Costa with the ANCA-WR’s ‘America We Thank You’ Co-Chairs Vanna Kitsinian, Esq., and Hermineh Pakhanians at the Capitol Hill briefing

Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) were joined by public policy leaders and a bipartisan group of Senate and House congressional staff for the unique presentation by Maurice Kelechian, a member of the ANCA Western Region’s “America We Thank You: An Armenian Tribute to Near East Relief” campaign, who has spent decades researching archives around the world to document this unprecedented American humanitarian aid effort.

Near East Relief expert Maurice Kelechian during his presentation at the ANCA Capitol Hill Briefing on the Armenian Genocide and American philanthropy

Kelechian offered detailed insights into the broad tapestry of U.S. government, religious, civic, and individual participation—from 48 states—in support of Near East Relief, which raised today’s equivalent of more than $2.7 billion to save Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks, and other minorities in the Near East during and after the Armenian Genocide. Established by congressional mandate and supported by three consecutive U.S. presidents, the landmark relief campaign would serve as a model for a host of American international and humanitarian efforts including the Marshall Plan, Truman’s Point-4 program, the U.S. Peace Corps, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Now known as the Near East Foundation, the organization continues its life-saving work in countries around the world.

To view Kelechian’s presentation, visit the ANCA YouTube page at http://youtu.be/ssc1Yk5aeTE.

“In 1915, when the U.S. Congress created the Near East Relief organization, the genocide went from being part of Armenian history to also being a part of American history,” said Rep. Costa, whose office helped coordinate the event. “As a longtime advocate, I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress on a full acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide.” Costa went on to offer a “heartfelt thank you to the ANCA for its steadfast dedication to fostering public awareness in support of a united and independent Armenia.”

“It’s astounding how few people in this country or anywhere else know about this organization [Near East Relief] and its history,” noted Congressman Schiff at the conclusion of the presentation. “That’s why I think that this ‘America We Thank You’ effort is so pivotal, because it is a wonderful way to help educate the public about the Armenian Genocide through the prism of American relief efforts.” View this video at http://youtu.be/D8YBdtNKOPg.

Congressman Pallone concurred, noting, “It’s a fact that the United States government has been very much out front on Armenian Genocide recognition in the past. So it’s important to talk about the history in the context of this era, when our foreign policy, and policy in general, was much more oriented towards what was right, what was justice, what was humane.” To view this video, visit http://youtu.be/dIzpbXrQwfs.

“The incredible outpouring of assistance through Near East Relief—and the U.S. government’s lead role in that effort—should be a point of pride for all Americans, and a reminder of an era when our Armenian Genocide policy reflected our collective morality,” said ANCA Government Affairs Director Kate Nahapetian. “This Centennial year, America can once again become a beacon of truth and justice on this key human rights issue, by speaking clearly and unequivocally about the Armenian Genocide, as we expand international efforts to secure justice for this crime.”

Kelechian and Nahapetian joined “America We Thank You” Co-Chairs Vanna Kitsinian, Esq. and Hermineh Pakhanians for a series of more than 10 congressional meetings regarding Near East Relief efforts, timed just 100 days prior to the international commemoration of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide on April 24, 2015. Each congressional office received an in-depth fact sheet about the heroic efforts of their state, as reported in local newspapers and archives, to assist in this unique campaign.

“The response to the NER story has been remarkable,” said Kitsinian, following her meetings. “Many members of Congress and staff have read about the Armenian Genocide but none of them knew the details and depth of their own community’s participation in this relief effort. For 15 consecutive years, America was dedicated to the mission of saving the Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, and others, and when we present the congressional letters and share how every aspect of society was mobilized—from celebrities to politicians to presidents to ambassadors—they are truly amazed,” Kitsinian concluded.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce with ANCA Government Affairs Director Kate Nahapetian and ANCA-WR’s ‘America We Thank You’ team members Maurice Kelechian, Vanna Kitsinian, Esq., and Hermineh Pakhanians

The ANCA Western Region launched the “America We Thank You: An Armenian Tribute to Near East Relief” campaign in March 2014 to recognize the outpouring of generosity by the American people in the immediate aftermath of the Armenian Genocide and to highlight the efforts of Near East Relief in rescuing and providing assistance to hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children who were victims of the genocide.

In 2015, the committee will mark the Centennial of the Near East Relief efforts through various events and programs to express its gratitude to the American people for establishing and continuing the tradition of being the most generous nation.

“The ‘America We Thank You’ effort is a labor of love for our committee members, who are constantly finding new and innovative ways to share the Near East Relief story with the Armenian community and the American public at large,” said Pakhanians. “Whether presenting to students in their classrooms or meeting with legislators in Washington, D.C., and state capitals, our education mission will continue, in tribute to the NER visionaries who saved our nation.”

For more information regarding the initiative, visit www.americawethankyou.org. Photos from the ANCA “America We Thank You” Capitol Hill briefing and meetings are available on the ANCA Facebook Page.

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YEREVAN (A.W)—The 32^nd World Congress of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) kicked off on Jan. 16. ARF delegates, leaders, and observers hailed from around the world for the week-long meeting, which is the party’s highest decision-making assembly.

The 32nd World Congress of the ARF kicked off on Jan. 16.

The meeting agenda will include Armenia’s domestic state of affairs, foreign policy, and matters of national importance. The Congress will also elect its leadership for the next four years, and will discuss priorities for the future. The meeting outcome will be made public once the World Congress concludes.

Before the meeting convened, delegates visited Yerevan’s Pantheon to pay their respects and lay carnations at the gravesite of the late ARF leader Vahan Hovannesian, as well as the gravesites of Aram Manougian, and Hrayr Maroukhian.

Hovannesian was laid to rest at the Pantheon on Jan. 3 in the presence of the Bureau and members of the ARF, as well as heads of the Armenian government.

Before the meeting convened, delegates visited Yerevan’s Pantheon to pay their respects to Vahan Hovannesian, Aram Manougian, and Hrayr Maroukhian.

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The following is the text of the speech given by Eric Nazarian in Ankara, Turkey, on Jan. 17, 2015, for the conference, ‘1915, Hrant and Justice.’ Henry Theriault, chair of the Philosophy Department at Worcester State College, also participated in the conference.

Thank you for being here today and for inviting me. When I was a kid I loved the Aladdin fairy tale. What child doesn’t want a genie in a bottle to grant three wishes? I remember my conversations with the imaginary genie walking home from school. I had a wish list that I would write down in my secret notebook. My wishes would vary from “I wish I could grow wings and fly” to, as I got slightly older, kiss Sophia Loren and sing like Charles Aznavour. Since 2007, my wish to the genie has remained the same around this time of year: I wish all of us today were celebrating Hrant’s Nobel Peace Prize with him and not commemorating the 8^th year of his assassination.

Eric Nazarian stands in front of posters for the conference, ‘1915, Hrant and Justice,’ in Ankara.

A lot has changed since those childhood days under the spell of Aladdin, Tom Sawyer, and Hovhannes Toumanian. Fairy tales, classic Hollywood movies, poems, and paintings all came to life on the dinner table of my parents’ and grandparents’ home in Los Angeles. My parents were born in Tehran, I was born in Armenia, my brother was born in Hollywood. As we say in Armenian: Vorteghits vortegh—from where to where—did we land? That is the eternal story of the Armenians.

Following in my father’s footsteps, I fell in love with the movies and books of his youth and grew up to become a filmmaker and writer. Black-and-white images were everywhere in our home. Marlon Brando, Stanley Kubrick, Simone Signoret, Albert Camus. These legends became windows into the world away from our working-class apartment, yet at the same time, they seemed so close and relative. They were inspiring, beautiful, and “harazat,” which means familial.

One of my earliest memories is of a wall in my family home with Charlie Chaplin next to a painting of Mount Ararat and Little Ararat. Laughter and majesty were side by side. The other image I remember wasn’t a painting or a film; it was one word in a poem by the magnificent Yeghishe Charents that my relatives would recite. The word was “arevaham.” Literally translated, it means “taste of the sun,” but it’s honestly lost in translation. I will never forget that word because it evoked the taste of sun-dried apricots. That’s what Armenia was to me—a sun-drenched ancient paradise where we came from. Charents taught me that poems, like images, could also make us see and feel things just like in the movies and music. As a child, this word and the images of my father’s favorite artists, including Martiros Saryan, Hakop Hakopian, Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, Federico Fellini, and Hovannes Aivazovsky, illuminated our daily lives. Before homework, after dinner, and during coffee and cigarettes, stories of these mythical artists, pictures, and movies on VHS continued to enrich our little apartment in Glendale. Art was the world and music was a universal tie that bound all cultures. These were the lessons I was taught as a child. To love culture, art, knowledge, creativity and to go beyond borders as a global citizen.

Then I learned of the Armenian troubadour and ashugh Sayat Nova, who composed and sang in all the languages of the Caucasus. Kani Vor Janim, Yar Ki Ghurbanim…

The voice, timbre, lament, and deep soul of those songs always evoked goose bumps and a teenage melancholia in my heart that I could not name. There was a warmth in that sadness wrapped inside Sayat Nova and Komitas’s blanket of music, and the images of the magnificent image makers that my father taught me about, among them Henri Cartier Bresson, Ara Guler, and the great photojournalists of the world.

Black and white photographs from the Armenian Genocide lined the hallways leading to the conference in Ankara. (Photo by Eric Nazarian)

The honeymoon period during my “Arevaham” childhood in America inevitably came to an end in my teenage years when I discovered a different kind of image that was far from the well-composed glamour shots of Elizabeth Taylor, the vibrant oil on canvases of Martiros Saryan, and the sweet Parisian fragments of Cartier-Bresson. The image of my teenage years was a faded and scratched black-and-white photograph of eight beheaded Armenians piled on top of one another. This was when I learned of the Armenian Genocide and what had happened on April 24, 1915. This image opened a Pandora’s Box in my consciousness. Never again would I be able to look at images in the same way.

The photographer of this image was not Ara Guler or Yousuf Karsh or Cartier-Bresson. It was an anonymous person who clicked the shutter and, without realizing it, immortalized one fragment of unimaginable horror that has traveled 100 years, and will travel well into the future long after we are gone.

And with the sighting of this image, a psychological and personal journey began that lasted more than 20 years until this very day of a painful and endless education about the immensity of the Armenian Genocide and its immediate and long-term aftereffects globally. I learned of the name Armin T. Wegner and the images he secretly photographed of the deportations in the provinces he witnessed. Each image told a different fragment of a much bigger story about the people in them, and we have no way of knowing who they were or what eventually happened to them.

From Armin Wegner and the anonymous photographers that remain unknown until today, we have visual documentations of what happened on these lands 100 years ago. The deeper I went into photographic research, the mountain of stories got bigger and I found myself in a labyrinth of countless narratives. Survivors upon survivors. Orphans upon orphans. Horror upon horror. Similar narratives told by people on opposite sides of the earth who had managed to escape the inferno of genocide. I discovered them in books, in the letters and dispatches of American and European missionaries, in the wrinkled eyes of survivors and descendants that spoke volumes with their silence in documentaries. From Adana to Beirut to Los Angeles…vorteghits vortegh.

Conference goers walk by photographs depicting the horrors of the Armenian Genocide. (Photo by Eric Nazarian)

Well into my teenage and university years, my consciousness was very clearly split in half like a karpuz: On the one hand there were the celluloid heroes of my childhood and the glamour of Hollywood’s dream factory where everybody was happy and sexy. On the other hand, the darkness lingered over the ancient paradises of Historic Armenia where one and a half million of my people were annihilated in the hills, valleys, and deserts of the Ottoman Empire.

When the subject of Armenians came up in school, my teachers would tell me nonchalantly, “When I was a child if I didn’t finish my food, my grandmother always reminded me of the Starving Armenians.” Those two words, every time I heard them, erupted a burning feeling of humiliation I tried to keep buried inside. But I couldn’t.

In school, my American teachers didn’t know about Sayat Nova or Komitas or the word “arevaham.” Everything they knew about Armenians was relegated to a pop culture phrase that was seeded in America after World War 1 and well into the 20^th century, continuing to this very day. When the subject of Armenians came up in school, my teachers would tell me nonchalantly, “When I was a child if I didn’t finish my food, my grandmother always reminded me of the Starving Armenians.” Those two words, every time I heard them, erupted a burning feeling of humiliation I tried to keep buried inside. But I couldn’t. One time I remember I ran out of class crying. At home, I would stare at the dinner table stuffed with Dadeeg’s delicious dolma and saffron rice and ponder the mountains of bones in the Der Zor desert. Why did the Turks do this to women and children? Who took the photo of the eight Armenian heads? The buried apparitions and visions eventually instilled a need to tell the story of my people and hopefully find catharsis through cinema.

And here we are in 2015, 100 years after the start of the genocide. Back then the Armenians were atop Musa Dagh fighting for their lives. And just a few months ago, the Yezidis were forced up Mount Sinjar fighting to survive. A lot has changed and a lot has stayed the same, unfortunately. In this quagmire that the Middle East has become in the past few years, lately I wonder a lot: What is my role as a storyteller? Why make images of suffering? Do stories and images even matter when tens of thousands of people are being uprooted, exiled, and deported just like the Armenians in 1915? What is the significance of images and stories during this very critical year that marks the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide? What images will come tomorrow that can hopefully heal and help us to face our pain and anger of being forgotten?

As an Armenian, we tell our stories and make images not to be forgotten. We build monuments worldwide to commemorate and immortalize through stone and mortar the martyrs for the nameless travelers of tomorrow’s generation. We film stories, put ink to paper, and digitize faded black-and-white photographs by Armin Wegner hoping that the preservation and knowledge of the genocide’s past atrocities can lead to the prevention of future ones. We also seek justice for a monumental crime against humanity that Hitler used as an example on the eve of invading Poland in 1939. This very same crime against humanity was an impetus for a young lawyer named Raphael Lemkin to coin the word “genocide.”

Empires and kingdoms draw lines on the earth that continue to shift based on impermanent power structures, but the truth remains rooted and untouchable, regardless of time, ravage, and injustice. The themes of justice and healing and the threat of erasure have evolved into themes central to the Armenian psyche worldwide since the genocide. It informs our art, music, images, poems, and daily yearnings to find wholesomeness within the broken root of our homeland that has been restricted to us. One century or several, the stones in Akhtamar, Palu, Soradir, Sassoon, Bitlis, Kars, Moush, and Diyarbakir continue to tell our stories and remain standing as a testament that the past will never fade and the truth is to be found within that past.

Today, I landed in Ankara by way of Los Angeles and Bolis. I first came to Turkey in 2010 when I was invited to make a film about the Armenians of Istanbul for an omnibus called Unutma Beni Istanbul (Do Not Forget Me Istanbul). The title of my film is “Bolis,” the Armenian word for Istanbul derived from the Greek name “Konstantinopolis.” Again, as a storyteller I was drawn to themes of memory and not being forgotten. I wanted to make the film a love letter to Old Bolis, Eski Bolis, as seen through the eyes of an ambivalent Diaspora Armenian oud master returning to Kadikoy with only a photo of his grandfather’s oud shop on a street called Tellalzade.

Just before docking in Istanbul, I experienced a silent panic attack in the plane above the skies of the Bosphorus. My mind suddenly became raided by images of Komitas, Daniel Varoujan, Siamanto, and Krikor Zohrab being arrested in the dark April night and driven to the interior on trains. I thought of Zabel Yesayan fleeing in the night. I thought of my American teachers uttering the words “Starving Armenians.” I thought of the ocean of bones in Der Zor…What the hell was I doing returning to the epicenter of the genocide?

Just before docking in Istanbul, I experienced a silent panic attack in the plane above the skies of the Bosphorus. My mind suddenly became raided by images of Komitas, Daniel Varoujan, Siamanto, and Krikor Zohrab being arrested in the dark April night and driven to the interior on trains. I thought of Zabel Yesayan fleeing in the night. I thought of my American teachers uttering the words “Starving Armenians.” I thought of the ocean of bones in Der Zor…What the hell was I doing returning to the epicenter of the genocide?

Hrant Dink

The answer, tragically, was simple and current. Hrant Dink. What he stood for and what he fell for became the third awakening in my life. I needed to see the city he loved so much. I needed to breathe in the air of Istanbul, despite my silent panic upon seeing the city for the first time from a bird’s eye view. We landed but the dread hung over me as I roamed the streets of Istanbul with a group of filmmakers who fast became friends—and helped me realize my cinematic mission to make a film about the long-term effects of the genocide on a Diaspora Armenian with an oud and a mission to find his grandfather’s music store in Kadikoy. He searches to find something that no longer exists and ultimately finds something he did not expect: a brief moment of friendship and empathy. Perhaps my film reflected my own journey. I came here to find the echoes of old Bolis. But I was really looking for empathy. I was looking for Hrant.

In the film, Armenak, the lead character, is asked by another character if he likes Istanbul. He replies ambivalently that “the demons of the past will never let me forget what happened here in 1915.” For us Armenians returning to this ancient city, we see the majesty of the surface geography, but everywhere we turn we are haunted first by buried apparitions of faces, places, and histories that have been erased from the collective consciousness and the history books.

This is why it is important, now more than ever, in the wake of Hrant, to continue to tell the stories and live to see the stories told. Through storytelling, we can rectify the lies that have polluted the truth of the ravaged and buried histories of this region’s minorities: Kurds, Greeks, Jews, Assyrians, and Armenians.

And in telling our stories, we nurture the need and hopefully fulfill the first steps of attaining justice. Telling stories is an act of civic rebellion as much as a protest.

Refusing to be silenced, refusing to be dehumanized, refusing to be forgotten, singing louder and clearer and more resolute all the truth that must be told is where I find the courage in men and women in this region and worldwide still suffering from the plagues of genocide, injustice, displacement, exile, and racism.

The broken record player of history has been repeating itself in strange and ugly ways this past year. I hope that through civil society groups, open hearts, and a refusal to dilute or distort the suffering of indigenous minorities, there may be a deeper justice and a new awakening found. With citizens waking up to the nightmare that was our history on these lands 100 years ago, may they combat intolerance and the denial of the Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian Genocides with empathy, open hearts and knowledge that dispels the lies.

If I could convince myself today that the genie of my childhood would come alive again on my shoulder and grant another wish for tomorrow, I would wish for every child in the world to know the story of this beautiful human being named Hrant Dink, and for his message of peace and sincerity to be sowed in our hearts to guide us toward a true path of reconciliation through truth, justice, and empathy. The memories of the Tigris and the Euphrates are very long and the pen will always be mightier than the sword.

The post A Wish for Aladdin and the Future of Atonement appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

YEREVAN (A.W)—The six-month-old survivor of the Gyumri massacre died at the St. Astvatsamayr Medical Center on Jan. 19, according to Armenia’s Ministry of Health. The infant’s health had declined, despite efforts by medical professionals to save his life.

Six-month-old survivor of the Gyumri massacre died on Jan. 19.

The child, Seryozha Avetisyan, had been hospitalized with stab wounds to the chest, following a brutal attack on his family that left six members of his family dead, including his two-year-old sister. The suspect, Valery Permyakov, an 18-year-old deserter from the Russian military base in Gyumri, allegedly attacked the family while they slept.

The victims have been identified as Seryozha Avetisyan, Hasmik Avetisyan, Armen Avetisyan, Araksya Avetisyan, Aida Avetisyan, Hasmik Avetisyan (two years old), and Seryozha Avetisyan (six months old).

According to Sona Truzyan, a spokesperson of the Investigative Committee of Armenia, the suspect’s boots bearing his name and surname, along with an AK 74 rifle and bullet shells, were found at the crime scene.

“The infant was found on the mother’s dead body. The perpetrator probably thought he was dead, although he had been breathing. The child was hospitalized late. He was in shock, cold, and almost bloodless,” head of Gyumri’s Australian hospital, Ashot Kurghinyan, was quoted as saying by Armenpress. Doctors believed, the child had been saved by a miracle, and were hopeful about his recovery. The infant had been transferred from Gyumri to Yerevan, where a group of Russian medical experts were working, alongside their Armenian counterparts, to save his life.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly phoned Armenian President Serge Sarkisian to express his condolences on the passing of the six-month-old survivor, as well as the other victims, and said he was confident that a “comprehensive and efficient investigation” would be carried out and those responsible would be punished by law, according to local media.  A day earlier, in a phone call to his Armenian counterpart, Putin had offered to send a plane equipped with medical gear to transport the child to Moscow for treatment, reported Armtimes. However, according to the hospital’s medical staff, moving the child to another room—let alone to another country—was impossible due to the severity of his condition.

A manhunt took place following the massacre, which led to the apprehension of the suspect who was reportedly attempting to cross the Armenian-Turkish border. The suspect is said to have confessed to the crime; the motive remains unknown, though there are suggestions that he might have had mental health issues. He is currently in the custody of Russian officials at the base, where charges—of “murder of more than two people” and “desertion with a service weapon”—have been leveled against him under Russian law, reported sources. The Investigative Committee of Armenia has also opened a criminal case against him. According to the police, Armenian authorities, together with officials from the Russian base, are conducting an investigation of the crime.

After initial statements by the Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office suggested that Permyakov would face Russian law,  a wave of protests erupted, with thousands of demonstrators in Gyumri and Yerevan demanding that Permyakov be handed over to Armenian authorities and be prosecuted in the country, as they fear Russia will fail to carry out a fair trial. Some protests ended in violence, with 33 injuries reported in Gyumri.

Protesters say that Russian officials are bound by a 1997 bilateral treaty to hand over the suspect, since the crime was committed off base. However, it is feared that since the suspect is labeled a “deserter,” his fate will be decided by Russian officials. Under mounting pressure, Armenia’s Prosecutor-General Gevorg Kostanian has promised to ask his Russian counterpart that the suspect be transferred to Armenian custody.

On Jan. 19, Shirak Governor Feliks Tsolakyan urged the public to remain calm. “I hope [that] and call upon the Gyumri residents not to be guided by emotions, since both our[—Armenian—] law enforcement and the Russian law enforcement are doing everything to solve the case. We cannot drive a wedge between the two countries because of a monster. We need to let the investigation find out what happened,” he was quoted as saying by News.am.

On Jan. 12, the Russian Embaassy in Armenia issued a statement expressing shock and assuring the public that the perpetrators would meet justice. “We mourn with the Armenian people. We offer our condolences to the families and friends of the victims. The perpetrators of this vicious crime should be given the most severe punishment,” read the statement, an assurance that was echoed in the televised words of Aleksei Polyukhovich, deputy commander at the Gyumri base.

Vigils for the victims have been held in various Armenian communities in the Diaspora, from Tbilisi to Los Angeles. On Jan. 19, a candlelight vigil was held in Yerevan’s Liberty Square, despite initial efforts by police officers to block the vigil, reported Armtimes. Similarly, a vigil was held outside the home of the Avetisyans, where locals lit candles in the memory of the victims.

The post 6-Month-Old Survivor of Gyumri Tragedy Succumbs to Injuries, Despite Medical Efforts appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

On Jan. 18, the Toronto-Armenian community gathered to commemorate the 8^th anniversary of the assassination of editor and journalist Hrant Dink, who was murdered in Istanbul on Jan. 19, 2007, in front of the “Agos” newspaper offices.

More than 700 people filled the Armenian Community Center to hear keynote speaker Fethiye Cetin, one of the most prominent lawyers in Turkey. Cetin was Hrant Dink’s lawyer while he was alive, and continued to serve as his family’s lawyer after his assassination, relentlessly pursuing and investigating the perpetrators of the still-unsolved murder.

I was the master of ceremonies of the event. The commemoration started with a candlelight vigil and a moment of silence remembering Hrant Dink, as well as the latest victims of intolerance toward free press, the murdered journalists of the Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris.

Hrant Dink

I explained how Hrant Dink became a target of Turkish ultranationalists within the “deep state” that planned his murder, and how officials in the intelligence bureaucracy and state police didn’t move a finger to prevent his murder, even though there was overwhelming evidence related to its preparation and implementation. After a beautiful rendition of Gomidas’s “Andouni” and of “Anin Desnem ou Mernem” (words by Hovhannes Shiraz, music by Majag Toshikyan) by young soprano Lynn Anoush Isnar, accompanied by pianist Lena Beylerian, I introduced Fethiye Cetin.

Cetin was born in Maden, Elazig province, and studied law at Ankara University. She is recognized as being the foremost human rights lawyer in Turkey, specializing in minority rights cases. She defended Hrant Dink against charges brought by the state for “insulting Turkishness,” only because he dared to speak about the Armenian Genocide. In 2004, Cetin wrote a book, titled My Grandmother, revealing her Armenian roots. In it, she explained how her Armenian grandmother was captured as a nine-year-old orphan by a Turkish soldier during the death march of 1915. Although her grandmother was Islamicized—and her name changed from Heranoush to Seher—she kept her Armenian roots secret until she was 70 years old, and opened up to her granddaughter, Fethiye Cetin, asking her to find her long-lost brother. After years of searching, Fethiye did find her Armenian relatives in New Jersey, but only after her grandmother had passed away.

Cover of ‘The Grandchildren’

My Grandmother has been translated into more than a dozen languages. It immediately became a best-seller in Turkey, and opened the floodgates to hundreds of similar stories about hidden, Islamicized Armenians. As a result, Fethiye Cetin, in collaboration with Ayse Gul Altinay, edited another book, called The Grandchildren, a compilation of dozens of stories of hidden Armenians. She also initiated a restoration project for destroyed Armenian fountains in her hometown village of Habap in 2009; several Armenian, Turkish, and Kurdish youth from Turkey, the United States, and France came to Habap to collaborate with local villagers and reconstruct the historic fountains that supplied water to the village.

After Hrant Dink’s assassination, Fethiye Cetin represented his family in the murder trials and investigations, which are still unresolved and continue to this day. In 2013, she presented the failure of the judicial system in finding and sentencing the real perpetrators of the Dink murder, as well as the gross negligence and cover-up of state officials, in a book titled, I Am Ashamed: The Trials of the Hrant Dink Murder Case.
In a moving speech at the Jan. 18 event, Cetin explained the struggle between individuals’ memory and conscience versus state pressure to make people forget past crimes. Below are excerpts from the speech.

***

“My grandmother was about 70 years old when she told me her story, as seen by her as a 9-year-old girl, about the 1915 disaster, the death march, followed by silence, pain, and loneliness. Nearly 60 years had passed after the terror that she experienced, but my grandmother still remembered very clearly her village, her house, all the names of her relatives, including her grandmother, her grandfather, her cousins, even the name of the village official. Despite all the external attempts to make her forget, she remembered everything that she and her family had lived through. It was as if she had kept repeating the story to herself for 60 years, in order not to forget.…

Fethiye Cetin (Photo: Hetq.am)

“The official state version of history in Turkey is also subject to a similar policy of permanent amnesia regarding the 1915 events. A typical example is a statement given by Sevket Sureyya Aydemir, the author of Mustafa Kemal’s biography: ‘I believe the fighting and settling of accounts between Turks and Armenians is a page of human history best to be forgotten. Which side was responsible? Who was guilty? I think it is better not to find out answers to these questions and forget these events forever.’…

“But unfortunately, despite all attempts, laws, and pressures to make people forget these events forever, this policy cannot be implemented.…

“On the other hand, the state which forces individuals to forget the past keeps all the information, records, documents about the past under its control, in locked safes and rooms, in places beyond the reach of the public, in order to bring them out and use them as discriminatory policies against the minorities, the ‘sword leftovers,’ the ones defined as ‘others.’ In other words, in one hand the state uses every means to make people forget the past, but on the other hand the state never forgets the past and keeps reminding the people about the differences in the minorities. As a result, the forced amnesia policy becomes converted to a policy of continuous remembering.…

“With the emergence in recent years of many stories about the past, with biographies, books, films, documentaries, panels, and conferences, one can conclude that the monopoly of the state in controlling the past has come to an end.…

“Local memories have started a revival because the great crime was witnessed by all local people. Despite the attempts to wipe out traces of the past, it is impossible for the local memories to be forgotten.…

“Remembering and facing the past is now a must for the Turkish people.…

“Truth and justice are deadly fears of the perpetrator. The perpetrator attempts to hide the truth with all its might, mechanisms, and institutions. This is why memory is the enemy of the government.…

“In my country the most important name of this resisting force is Hrant Dink. Because Hrant Dink, with his stand, kept on reminding them of their past full of crimes, the past which they desperately tried to make people forget. Because Hrant Dink not only kept reminding them of the truth about the past, but everyone that he touched with his words—his readers, his listeners, his followers, people in the street—everyone believed him. They murdered Hrant Dink, because he stood right where the state had drawn the red lines, the taboos that it feared. Hrant Dink became the only visible target for the historical hatred against Armenians, and he stood in the crosshairs of both opposition and government forces.…

“The hatred for Armenians also became quite apparent in all the trials and investigations following the murder, as the perpetrator of the crime—the state—ensured that all the state officials would be exempt from any investigation. During these eight years since the murder, the competing forces in the government still use the murder as war material against each other.…

“I am one of the closest witnesses of Hrant Dink’s murder. I was with him in the court cases throughout the long preparation stage of the murder. My evidence is based on my eyewitness account. I presented and continue presenting to the judiciary and prosecution all I know, I see, I think about this murder. But unfortunately, all my efforts so far have ended up in countless binders or in notes attached to desk calendars. They were not included in formal prosecution inquiries, evidence that I pointed out was not investigated, suspects that I pointed out were not questioned.…

“The history of this country is full of cases where criminals are not tried, even if tried are not punished, where the perpetrators do everything possible to make the society forget the crime. Our history has countless political assassinations and unsolved murders.…

“I acted as Hrant Dink’s lawyer before his murder, and I am his family’s lawyer after the murder. Obviously I do not possess the force and resources of the prosecutor to uncover the real planners and perpetrators of this murder. I don’t have intelligence organizations at my control either, which could provide me with clues and information. I base my case only on what I witness, and what I see in the trial documents.

“Yes, our history is full of shameful events, unaccounted crimes, unsolved murders. We inherited this shame from the past, but we are responsible not to pass it on to future generations. I want to pledge, with you as witness, that I will try to bring to account all the shame and present a clean future to the next generations. My promise is a promise to Hrant, that I will continue to seek truth and justice, to the utmost of my abilities and until the end of my life.”

***

The Toronto commemoration was more proof that Hrant Dink’s legacy lives on and gains more momentum every year, both within Turkey and in all four corners of the world, with demands of truth and justice to prevail for 1.5 million Armenians plus one—for Hrant Dink himself.

The post Fethiye Cetin Speaks at 8th Hrant Dink Commemoration in Toronto appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

Special for the Armenian Weekly

More than a week since the Gyumri killings, the city and Armenia at large are still struggling to come to terms with the heinous crime that wiped out an entire family. As the massacre’s youngest victim, six-month-old Seryozha Avetisyan succumbed to his injuries on Monday, many questions remain unanswered; chief among them – what happens to the culprit?

A requiem sevice in memory of six-month-old Seryozha Avetisyan took place in Gyumri on Jan. 20. (Photo: Photolure/Hayk Baghdasaryan)

Valery Permyakov, a Russian soldier stationed at the 102^nd Russian Military Base in Gyumri, is said to be responsible for the multiple killings. Permyakov was captured by Russian border guards trying to flee across the Armenian-Turkish border and remains in Russian custody to this day.

Immediately after the tragic event, angry protests broke out in Gyumri, demanding that Permyakov be handed over to the Armenian justice system. However, announcements made by Russian and Armenian officials indicate that this is unlikely to be the case.

A statement by Armenia’s Office of the Prosecutor General first cited the Russian Constitution that bars the extradition of a Russian citizen to a foreign country. Questions about how and why Permyakov appeared and remains in Russian custody aside, it is incomprehensible why a representative of Armenia’s justice system would refer to the Russian Constitution in relation to a crime committed on Armenian soil.

Facing mounting pressure from the public while in Gyumri, Prosecutor General Gevorg Kostanyan then gave assurances that Permyakov will be tried in Armenia but shied away from promising that he will be prosecuted in an Armenian court. The best he could offer protestors in Gyumri was a promise to appeal to his Russian counterpart asking for Permyakov’s handover. It is unclear what steps Kostanyan has taken since.

The 1997 bilateral treaty between Russia and Armenia that established the terms under which the Russian 102^nd military base is stationed in Gyumri, states that soldiers who commit crimes outside the confines of the base are subject to Armenian law. The same treaty upholds Russian jurisdiction over crimes committed within Russian military facilities in Armenia, a clause that has been cited as one justification for not handing over Permyakov, given that the latter also deserted his base just before allegedly committing the crime.

In essence, however, the criminal’s handover is not about what legal frameworks apply and which loopholes can be exploited. It is about Armenia’s leadership (finally) speaking out for its people; it is about respect between two nations; it is a matter of pride, dignity and justice for a nation too often overlooked by its own government and too often coerced by its more powerful neighbor.

In essence, however, the criminal’s handover is not about what legal frameworks apply and which loopholes can be exploited. It is about Armenia’s leadership (finally) speaking out for its people; it is about respect between two nations; it is a matter of pride, dignity and justice for a nation too often overlooked by its own government and too often coerced by its more powerful neighbor.

While the country mourns, protests and demands answers, the silence of its leaders has been deafening. Save for a few meagre announcements that expressed condolences and urged restraint, the President, the government, the political parties have, by and large, been silent; silent and absent.

There has been no condemnation, no outrage, no genuine sympathy. Attempts to declare a national day of mourning have been dismissed. And when the people of Gyumri bid farewell to the Avetisyan family at a sombre funeral service, there was no one standing by their side to share their pain and to assure them that Armenian citizens are safe in their homeland, that answers will be provided, that this won’t happen again in a city that has already suffered so much loss.

If the intent of the silence has been to not upset Russia, ironically it has proved counter-productive as evidenced by the protests held outside the Russian diplomatic representations in Yerevan and Gyumri as well as the Military Base itself. If it has simply been a matter of incompetence, then sadly, that’s a tragedy of its own.

The Armenian government needs to speak up for its people. Rather than citing the Russian constitution, it has to do everything in its power to ensure Permyakov’s handover. Rather than curbing protests, it should provide the people with a sense of security and assurances that justice will be served. Whatever the end result may be, the people of Armenia need to know that their government made every effort possible on their behalf.

The Russian government too has a role to play. At this point in time in particular, it needs to demonstrate respect for the wishes of a deeply wounded nation, an ally and neighbour, and hand over the soldier responsible for the killings without any further delay.

The Russian government too has a role to play. At this point in time in particular, it needs to demonstrate respect for the wishes of a deeply wounded nation, an ally and neighbour, and hand over the soldier responsible for the killings without any further delay.

It is not the first time that a citizen of one country is found guilty of committing a crime in the other. In July 2013, Hrachya Harutyuyan, a citizen of Armenia working as a truck driver in Russia, crashed his vehicle into a bus, resulting in the unfortunate death of 18 people. Shortly after his arrest, Harutyunyan was brought before a Russian courtroom dressed in women’s clothing, the humiliating photos causing much anger in Armenia. Harutyunyan is currently serving a six-year prison sentence in Russia. It is impossible to not compare the action and reaction in each case.

No, the handling of the Permyakov case is not about jurisdiction. For the people of Armenia, it is about instilling justice and restoring the dignity of Armenia. It is about ensuring that Armenia’s relationship with Russia be based on mutual respect and understanding – not merely on a cold calculation of national interests.

The post The Gyumri killings: Beyond the Legal Arguments appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

WESTWOOD, Calif.—University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) student body government on Tuesday night unanimously voted to divest $72.6 million dollars-worth of University of California bonds and investments in the Republic of Turkey for their crimes in and the continued denial of the Armenian genocide.

UCLA Student Council members read the resolution before the vote.

The resolution, titled “A Resolution to Divest from the Republic of Turkey to End the Perpetuation of the Armenian Genocide,” passed with a vote of 12-0-0 around 10 p.m. at Kerckhoff Hall in UCLA.

The resolution is part of a larger initiative (#DivestTurkey) spearheaded by the Armenian Youth Federation Western United States (AYF)—a grassroots community organization dedicated to justice—calling on institutions to divest from the Republic of Turkey.

AYF Central Executive Board member Gev Iskajyan stated, “the #DivestTurkey initiative began in order to connect and provide resources for university students and activists on campuses across America to divest all holdings in the Republic of Turkey’s government until reparations for the Armenian genocide are met and until genocide is no longer a profitable venture. The Armenian Students’ Association at UCLA was the first organization to accept this call for divestment from the community and successfully presented this resolution.”

The resolution passed with overwhelming support from UCLA’s general student body and official UCLA student organizations.

“Tonight demonstrates the Armenian community is not alone in its fight for justice and reparations for genocide,” explained Razmig Sarkissian, an AYF member and UCLA alumnus.

Student organization co-sponsors included Armenian Dance Group, Alpha Epsilon Omega, Alpha Gamma Alpha, Armenians for Health Advancement, Hidden Road Initiative, and Samahang Pilipino. Student organization endorsers included Bengali Students Association, Indus, Jewish Voice for Peace, Native Roots, Samahang Pilipino, Sikh Student Association, and Students for Justice in Palestine.

“[#DivestTurkey] is about reaffirming student agency because students were not consulted in the decision to invest in the Turkish government,” said Mikael Matossian, president of the Armenian Students’ Association at UCLA. “This is a proactive step in the ethical direction, of an Armenian student-led coalition calling on our student government to take a stand against funding genocidal regimes,” continued Matossian.

“The AYF plans to expand the #DivestTurkey initiative, working with several colleges and universities in order to introduce similar resolutions in the coming weeks and months,” confirmed Iskajyan. Campus organizations and interested individuals can contact Divestment@AYFwest.org.

The post UCLA Student Body Passes Resolution Calling for Divestment from Turkey appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) recently announced the winners of the 2014 Sayat Nova International Composition Competition: Hovik Sardaryan, 21, of Armenia was awarded first prize; Fun Gordon Dic-lun, 26, of Hong Kong received second prize; and Richard Melkonian of the United Kingdom, 25, received third prize.

The Sayat Nova International Composition Competition gala concert at Salle Cortot in Paris in 2012.

As first prize winner, Sardaryan received both the AGBU Carnegie Hall Award and Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra (APO) Award. His piece, “The Flowers of Golgotha,” will premiere at a gala concert in May and will be performed at the annual AGBU Performing Artists in Concert at Carnegie Hall in December 2015. He will also be commissioned to write a 10-minute piece that will be performed by the APO during its 2016-17 season.

The Sayat Nova International Composition Competition is designed to introduce Armenian musical traditions to a wider audience. This year, in commemoration of Centenary of the Armenian Genocide, the competition asked composers to include in their submissions the poetry of Daniel Varoujan, one of the first victims of the genocide.

Submissions arrived from various countries, including Russia, Switzerland, and Brazil, as well as from 14 U.S. states. Sixty percent of the composers were not of Armenian descent. The jury judging the competition was comprised of seven renowned artists—conductor of APO Eduard Topchjan, composer Yakov Yakulov, soprano Hasmik Papian, pianist Jenny Chai, composer Paul Méfano, and composer Michel Petrossian—from Armenia, Austria, France, China and the United States.

Poet Lola Koundakjian served as a consultant to the jury and Hayk Arsenyan, a composer and the artistic director of this year’s competition, advised on the selection of the AGBU Carnegie Hall Prize winner. “This project is one of the brightest examples of what the AGBU Performing Arts department is aiming to accomplish—to introduce Armenian traditional instruments to an international audience and to strengthen cultural connections between Armenia and the rest of the world,” said Arsenyan.

The Sayat Nova International Composition Competition this year partnered with music company Vox Novus, which developed Music Avatar, a software that allowed all submissions and judging to take place online. Robert Voisey, the executive director of Vox Novus, was instrumental in the collaboration. “We are very proud to have worked with AGBU and contributed to making the competition inspirational and creative,” he said.

The works of the three prize winners, which included music for the duduk, violin, piano, and a mezzo soprano, will be showcased at the gala concert and award ceremony on May 11 at Symphony Space in New York. Ara Guzelimian, the provost and dean of the Juilliard School, will give the opening remarks at the gala.

For more information about the AGBU and its worldwide programs, visit www.agbu.org.

The post ‘Sayat Nova International Composition Competition’ Announces Winners appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

Special for the Armenian Weekly

This past summer during the height of Israel’s “Operation Protective Edge” against the Gaza Strip, I noticed the name Ivan Karakashian, advocacy unit coordinator of Defense for Children International Palestine (DCI-P) cited in news reports. DCI-Palestine is an independent children’s rights organization dedicated to defending children living under Israeli military occupation. Karakashian was quoted in numerous press accounts about a Palestinian boy who was used as a human shield by Israeli soldiers on the ground in Gaza. I knew that with a name like Karakashian there was an Armenian connection, and I contacted Ivan and arranged to interview him twice, once via Skype from Jerusalem and once when he was in New York City in late 2014 as part of a speaking tour hosted by Tree of Life Educational Fund, a peace and social justice organization established by the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, Conn.

A boy holds a canister of rubber-coated metal bullets. When fired, the charges inside disperse, hitting anyone nearby. (Photo: DCI Palestine)

Ivan Karakashian was born in Jerusalem to an Armenian father and a Palestinian Christian mother. He grew up in the Shu’fat neighborhood of East Jerusalem, and his family is one of the three founders of the Armenian ceramics tradition in Jerusalem. His grandfather Meguerditch Karakashian and his colleague, Neshan Balian, who were living in Kutahya at the time, came to Jerusalem at the behest of David Ohanessian, who had set up a ceramics workshop in the Old City at the end of World War I. Meguerditch Karakashian and Neshan Balian worked with Ohanessian for three years until they set up their own business in 1922. The Karakashians and Balians were partners until 1963. After the death of Meguerditch Karakashian the families separated their workshops, with the Karakashians setting up Jerusalem Pottery on the Via Dolorosa in the Old City’s Christian Quarter, and the Balians setting up Armenian Ceramics on Nablus Road in East Jerusalem, not far from the American Colony Hotel. Ivan’s father, his uncle, and his cousin currently run the family business.

Ivan Karakashian

Ivan Karakashian told me of his family’s peregrinations, starting with his grandfather’s arrival from Kutahya; their purchase of a house in Katamon in West Jerusalem in 1947; losing the house even before they were able to move into it in 1948; the two months they spent in the Armenian convent during the 1948 war; their sojourn in Amman, Jordan, before returning to live behind the Nablus Road shop in 1950; and their building the Karakashian family home in Shu’fat in 1954. The family was in Jerusalem during the 1967 war, and when it was over Israeli authorities came to the house and told them to go to a center to register for permanent residency status. The family lives in the same house to this day, and its members carry “blue identity cards” that denote Jerusalem residency.

Ivan Karakashian worked for the Committee to Project Journalists (CPJ) from 2005-08 in New York City. “At CPJ, I was a researcher for the Middle East and North Africa program,” he told me. “I honed many of my skills at CPJ, reporting in-depth on press freedom violations. Much of my time at CPJ involved remotely investigating the killing of journalists in Iraq and determining whether it was directly related to their work. It was difficult interviewing family members over the phone—often an hour or two after the death—to accurately report the circumstances, but I developed the sensitivity to deal with those experiencing loss and trauma.”

“It was difficult interviewing family members over the phone—often an hour or two after the death—to accurately report the circumstances, but I developed the sensitivity to deal with those experiencing loss and trauma.”

In February 2013, Ivan took the position as coordinator of the Advocacy Unit for DCI-Palestine. DCIP was founded in 1991 by Rifat Kassis as a legal aid association for children held in Israeli military detention. In 2001, the mandate was broadened and DCIP started monitoring all rights violations against Palestinian children in the Occupied Territories. In 2005, they also started monitoring infractions by Palestinian factions and armed groups as a way to fully protect Palestinian children’s rights. More than 8,500 children, the vast majority of them boys between the ages of 12-17, have been imprisoned in Israel’s military jails since 2000.

Othman, 15, has spent over 11 months under house arrest on suspicion of throwing stones. He was arrested when he was 14 years old. His father told DCI that the interrogators were physically violent, and threatened to rape his son. (Photo: DCI Palestine)

Karakashian’s job is a difficult one. Israel tries 500-700 children in military courts every year, but with a conviction rate of over 99 percent, the proceedings hardly qualify as trials. During pre-trial detention the children are often subjected to harsh interrogation, solitary confinement, and general mistreatment. Palestinian children frequently take plea bargains, admitting guilt whether they are guilty or not, as the fastest and least expensive means for getting out of jail.

Karakashian explained that DCIP monitors and documents violations against children by “obtaining affidavits from multiple witnesses, evidentiary photographs, and supporting documents such as medical reports.” They then share this information with UN agencies, international legal bodies, and non-governmental organizations. DCIP statistics and narratives are used in reports by a range of groups and organizations, from Amnesty International to the U.S. State Department. As the coordinator of DCIP’s Advocacy Unit, Karakashian handles traditional advocacy, and he also works with the mainstream media, providing information about violations of children’s rights to journalists covering Israel’s military occupation and its almost bi-annual incursions into Gaza. He also utilizes alternative tools, such as social media and online advocacy, to try to build a grassroots, global movement to hold Israel to account for its violations of children’s rights.

A recent example of DCIP’s efforts to pursue justice for Palestinian children is the story of the Beitunia boys. On May 15, 2014, two unarmed teenaged boys, Nadim Siyam Nawarah and Muhammad Mahmoud Salameh, were shot and killed with live ammunition by Israeli border police in separate incidents after Nakba (Catastrophe) Day protests near Ofer Prison. Video footage from security and media cameras showed that the killings were unprovoked. DCIP worked with Forensic Architecture, a London-based organization whose principal investigator is Eyal Weizman, an Israeli architect and professor at Goldsmith’s University, to identity Nadim Nawarah’s killer. Forensic Architecture’s video analysis showed convincingly that live ammunition was used, something Israeli authorities had consistently denied previously.

Efforts by DCIP, Forensic Architecture, the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, and the boys’ families resulted in the indictment of an Israeli border policeman.

DCIP is continuing to use social media to help spread the boys’ stories and to pursue justice for the Nawarah and Salameh families. The #NoMoreForgottenLives campaign employed a well-designed slideshow that gives the narrative of the boys’ killings and ends with an opportunity to join a Thunderclap, a social media tool that helps groups amplify their messages on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr.

6-year-old Mousab now wears a glass eye after he was hit directly in the right eye with a rubber-coated metal bullet. (Photo: DCI Palestine)

When I asked Karakashian what life was like for Armenians in the Old City of Occupied East Jerusalem, he told me, “Armenian children are harassed, pushed around and intimidated by Israeli settlers.” We discussed the ongoing harassment that Armenian clergy face. Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) Jews regularly spit on the Armenian priests and seminarians. But he added that Armenians generally stay out of trouble and are careful about how they interact with Israeli soldiers and police.

“Here in the West Bank, there’s no real difference between an Armenian and a Palestinian,” Ivan Karakashian said. “Just because I’m Armenian doesn’t mean that I’m treated differently from other Palestinians. I am a Palestinian of Armenian descent. We suffer the same harassment that Palestinians suffer, and inhale the same tear gas. I grew up witnessing human rights abuses and violence in the West Bank.”

“Here in the West Bank, there’s no real difference between an Armenian and a Palestinian. Just because I’m Armenian doesn’t mean that I’m treated differently from other Palestinians. I am a Palestinian of Armenian descent. We suffer the same harassment that Palestinians suffer, and inhale the same tear gas. I grew up witnessing human rights abuses and violence in the West Bank.”

On his way to work each day, Karakashian crosses the notorious Qalandiya checkpoint between East Jerusalem and his office in Ramallah. Because of the international fame of the Kardashian sisters, the Israeli soldiers at the checkpoint now recognize that the name on his I.D. card is Armenian and this has become a source of banter. He also said that the Karakashian House of Shu’fat, as his family home is known, is on Israeli military maps. In the event of a “two-state solution” partition of Israel and Palestine, their house would be the boundary and always remain a part of Israel.

He also told of cat-and-mouse games played on three sides of the Karakashian home by Palestinian boys and Israeli soldiers. “The atmosphere in East Jerusalem is increasingly tense,” he said, mentioning this past summer’s graffiti scrawled on walls saying, “Death to Arabs” and the attempted kidnappings of Palestinians by extremist Israeli settlers.

Karakashian sums up his passion for his work: “Confronting the feeling of powerlessness I experienced growing up in Jerusalem drives me now to be an agent for change. We’re trying to get justice, but how do you get justice? By holding people to account. How do you hold people to account in a culture of impunity?” The embodied answer to Ivan Karakashian’s final rhetorical question is his work with Defense for Children International Palestine.

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$3 Million Raised for 20th Anniversary to Advance Tree Planting and Education Programs

BOSTON, Mass.—Supporters of the Armenia Tree Project (ATP) turned out in full force this past fall to celebrate the organization’s 20th anniversary in Boston. A crowd of 500 enthusiastic guests young and old from a broad spectrum of the community showed up to mark the milestone.

Armenia’s representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, presented a Medal for Services Contributed to the Motherland to ATP and its founder, Carolyn Mugar. Also pictured are board member Nancy Kricorian (left) and forestry director Navasard Dadyan. (Photo by Kerry Brett)

An event at the Grand Atrium of the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse overlooking the Boston Harbor was the third in a series of gatherings. The first was a festive spring outdoor gathering on the grounds of the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens in Southern California, while a lively reception was held at the Kharpert Restaurant of the Tufenkian Hotel in Yerevan in October.

‘ATP [plants trees to] prevent erosion of the soil. Is it also, in a way, helping to fight the erosion of a nation?’ (Photo by Kerry Brett)

An organizing committee of 30 volunteers in Boston was led by co-chairs Nicole Babikian Hajjar and Nina Festekjian. The New England event featured an art exhibit, sale, and auction of a collection of paintings by Arthur Hovhannisyan titled, “Land in Harmony.” In addition to the artwork, the event at Moakley featured music by Black Sea Salsa and noted folk performer Lilit Pipoyan.

In an especially powerful part of the evening, Armenia’s representative to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, presented an award to ATP and its founder, Carolyn Mugar, for 20 years of service. This was a significant gesture of official recognition and thanks from Armenia’s government, in the form of a Presidential Decree awarding a Medal for Services Contributed to the Motherland. In response, Mugar shared the praise with everyone in the room, including donors and partners, organizational leadership past and present, and committed staff, several of whom had traveled to the event from Armenia.

In her remarks, Mugar outlined some of the philosophy and worldview of the organization: “We’ve been reminding ourselves how far we’ve come. Now let’s also imagine where we are going and to challenge ourselves to get there… But just as important as the trees we plant are the children we are growing—soon to be adults—who will be committed to how important trees are to the survival of a healthy and prosperous Armenia. We are growing future active citizens,” she said.

Another highlight of the evening was remarks from young actor David Alpay, whose Hollywood debut started with his role in Atom Egoyan’s film “Ararat.” Alpay is an emerging star with prominent roles on a number of programs, including “The Vampire Diaries,” “The Tudors,” and most recently “The Lottery.” Alpay recounted his relationship with ATP, which began several years ago when he was inspired by a visit to several of the project sites.

“Trees stop soil erosion…the soil in Armenia, soil to which Armenians around the world feel a visceral connection. ATP helps prevent the erosion of this soil,” he said, reflecting on various aspects of ATP’s mission and purpose. “Is it also, in a way, helping to fight the erosion of a nation?”

“ATP plants trees, and by doing so it promotes education, economic independence, and food security. By planting fruit trees, it literally puts food on the table. But their mandate runs deeper,” emphasized Alpay. “It’s nation-building in its most sacred form. When you plant a tree with ATP you spread roots in the ground. You nourish a dream of so many of our parents, grandparents, of a free and independent Armenia and Artsakh, and you protect it from eroding, and becoming dust. Because too many before us fought too hard, and sacrificed too much for us to squander it on our watch.”

Since its inception in 1994, ATP has planted more than 4.7 million trees, established 3 nurseries and 2 environmental education centers, and has greened villages, churches, parks, and open spaces throughout Armenia. In the process, the organization has provided employment for hundreds of people and provided vital resources to thousands of villagers throughout the country.

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Special for the Armenian Weekly

My maternal grandparents were from Dikranagerd (or Tigranakert, now Diyarbakir), where my mother Mari and uncle Mgrditch were also born.

My recollection of my grandmother Gadar growing up in Cairo was that of a kind, gentle soul, a very sad person who spoke little, constantly wore black, and always held a cross in her hand. She slept little, woke up early every morning, prepared my breakfast, and on my way to kindergarten kissed my forehead and murmured a short prayer. She would go to the Armenian church in our neighborhood of Bein El Sourein (the church has been demolished to widen the street) for morning prayers and regularly attended Mass every Sunday. On some Sundays I accompanied her. After Mass, my grandmother would get together with other ladies her age, all wearing black, holding hands and whispering while my friends and I played in the church yard, oblivious and unaware of their pain.

After Mass, my grandmother would get together with other ladies her age, all wearing black, holding hands and whispering while my friends and I played in the church yard, oblivious and unaware of their pain.

When my father passed away, I found a document in his papers…

I was very young; this was the late 1940’s, early 1950’s. I did not know anything yet about the genocide. At that time in Egypt, little was said or mentioned about the genocide. It was in the late 1950’s that the Armenian community in Egypt (primarily the ARF and the Ramgavar party) started to openly commemorate the genocide. When I asked my father and mother why my grandmother always seemed to be sad and wore black, my dad’s answer was, “She survived hell on earth and is unable to forget.” Being young, I could not comprehend my grandmother’s grief and the enormity of her family’s suffering.

My grandmother passed away. As I grew up, I was very fortunate to have great and inspiring teachers like Sarkis Zeitlian and Berj Momdjian, who made us aware of who we are and have become today. I also had the “Houssaper” and “Ararat” centers, which in our childhood and as adults became our second homes.

When my father passed away, I found a document in his papers. I am extremely happy that my father had kept it for so many years. It is a document that cries out about what grandmother, mother, and uncle had gone through at the murderous hands of Turks and Kurds during the genocide.

When Dikranagerd’s Armenian community was viciously attacked and looted by the Turkish/Kurdish hordes, all the able-bodied males were either massacred or deported en masse. Their properties were looted or confiscated, and the women and children were exiled. The Basmadjian clan was perished, although I became aware that few of them had miraculously survived and made their way to the United States.

Unfortunately I still do not know how my grandmother, with her two children, was able to make the treacherous journey from Dikranagerd to Adana. How did they survive in those hostile and venomous conditions, with nothing except the clothes on their backs?

Unfortunately I still do not know how my grandmother, with her two children, was able to make the treacherous journey from Dikranagerd to Adana. How did they survive in those hostile and venomous conditions, with nothing except the clothes on their backs?

Following World War I, the Franco-Turkish war was fought and Cilicia and cities like Adana were occupied by French troops from November 1918 to October 1921. Armenians in the “ French Armenian Legion” were fighting alongside the French and supporting them. There is voluminous historical data in the French archives about that period and the involvement of the French, but very little from the Armenian perspective.

It is likely during that time that my grandmother, mother, and uncle, with the help of a “guardian angel,” were able to reach Adana. I have no idea what happened in Adana, except that they sailed on a ship to Alexandria, Egypt.

‘This document cries out for Justice.’

The document, in French, is revealing for the following facts:

It was issued by the Military Governor of the “Occupied Enemy Territories” on Aug. 12, 1920.

It is a “Permit of Passage.”

Nationality is noted as “Armenian.”

Destination: “Alexandria in care of Father Haigazoun.”

With “No return.”

They arrived in Alexandria on Sept. 3, 1920. They were taken in and taken care of by Armenian families who were in Alexandria at the time. My father was one of them.

My grandmother could not forget. How can I?

This document cries out for Justice.

The post A Document That Cries Out appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (A.W.)—The eighth anniversary of Hrant Dink’s assassination was commemorated in Diyarbakir’s Cegerxweyn Cultural Center this week.

Gultan Kışanak, Diyarbakir metropolitan mayor, attended the commemoration, which was organized by the city’s Armenian community and a local NGO.

Gultan Kışanak, Diyarbakir metropolitan mayor, delivering her remarks. (Photo by Gulisor Akkum)

Speakers included Kışanak, Pakrat Estukyan from Agos newspaper, activist Dr. Selçuk Mızraklı, and lawyer Sabih Ataç.

Kışanak noted that the commemoration this year was particularly meaningful as it coincided with the Centennial commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. Talking about the ongoing murder trial, she said that expectations go beyond the arrest of a few culprits.

Kışanak added that an apology for the genocide, and the ability of Armenians to securely return to their lands, are necessary for the establishment of peace.

The people of Diyarbakir are ready to embrace the Armenians, she said.

Hundreds gathered for the commemoration event. (Photo by Gulisor Akkum)

Estukyan spoke about the commemorations being held throughout Turkey on Dink’s assassination, and said he was particularly moved by the tribute in Diyarbakir.

“I realized today that neither Hrant, nor those who died for this 30-year movement for freedom, died in vain,” Estukyan said.

Mızraklı, in turn, talked about how the destruction of an Armenian presence in Turkey began more than a century ago and how, after the Armenians, other ethnic and religious groups were also subjected to mass violence.

Ataç shared personal memories of Hrant Dink.

The commemoration concluded with performances by musicians Udi Yervant and Stepan Ilhan.

Speakers included Kışanak, Pakrat Estukyan from Agos newspaper, activist Dr. Selçuk Mızraklı, and lawyer Sabih Ataç Konuşmacı. (Photo by Gulisor Akkum)

This report was filed by The Armenian Weekly Diyarbakir correspondent Gulisor Akkum.

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YEREVAN—The 32nd World Congress of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) concluded on Jan. 24. ARF delegates, leaders, and observers had hailed from around the world on Jan. 16 for the week-long meeting, which is the party’s highest decision-making assembly.

The 32nd World Congress of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) concluded on Jan. 24.

The Congress examined the activities of the ARF in the past cycle, and outlined priorities—political and strategic—for the upcoming term. The Congress discussed Armenia’s domestic state of affairs, foreign policy, and matters of national importance.

The Congress also elected its leadership for the next four years. The new ARF Bureau members are:

Vigen Baghoumian (Iran)

Viken Yakoubian (U.S.)

Hagop Khacherian (Lebanon)

Hrant Markarian (Armenia)

Giro Manoyan (Armenia)

Khatchig Mouradian (U.S.)

Beniamin Bouchakjian (Lebanon)

Hagop DerKhatchadourian (Canada)

Armen Rustamyan (Armenia)

Spartak Seyranyan (Armenia)

Mourad Papazian (France)

At its first plenary session, the ARF Bureau elected Hrant Markarian as its chairman, and Armen Rustamyan as its representative of political affairs.

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The Action Chrétienne en Orient (ACO) Fellowship released the following statement calling on its member churches to devote one Sunday in 2015 to the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.

The Action Chrétienne en Orient was originally created to provide assistance to the victims of the genocide that struck the Armenian people at the beginning of the 20th century. Pastor Paul Berron, from Alsace, was a direct witness to the terrible sufferings, and he began his assistance in Aleppo in 1922. Since that moment, this work of solidarity between Eastern and Western Christians has continued and expanded.¹

In 1995 in Kessab, Syria, those who continued and expanded Pastor Berron’s work gathered in a Fellowship, developing a community in which Lebanese, Syrian, Iranian, Swiss, Dutch, and French partners met on an equal basis.

Twenty years after the creation of this Fellowship, our community wishes to remember the Armenian Genocide and the Chaldean-Assyrian Massacre, which began on April 24, 1915, just one century ago. The Turkish government still denies the existence of this genocide.

We do not wish for vengeance or revenge and we welcome the work of Turkish citizens, be they journalists, philosophers, historians, who no longer want to obscure these dark pages of the history of their country.

When a group, a government, a society, wants to eliminate another human group only because of its religious, cultural, or ethnic identity, it is genocide. And this is the worst crime against humanity. For, when one part of humanity decides that another part is not allowed to exist in this world, all of humanity is attacked…

When a group, a government, a society, wants to eliminate another human group only because of its religious, cultural, or ethnic identity, it is genocide. And this is the worst crime against humanity. For, when one part of humanity decides that another part is not allowed to exist in this world, all of humanity is attacked, and its anthropological unity is denied. Our Christian faith gives us the conviction that every human being is created by God; that Christ gave his life and rose for him/her and so s/he is called to live the fullness of life, to receive forgiveness and to be loved. It is not up to one human being to decide whether life is worth living or not.

The 20th century has known other genocides. And until now, religious minorities in the Middle East have to suffer because of awful violence against them. ACO-Fellowship finds that this Centenary should not be a mere commemoration of tragic events of the past but a call for vigilance against any speech that aims at excluding from the human community one of its components. Such speech must be fought and firmly rejected.

ACO-Fellowship finds that this centenary should not be a mere commemoration of tragic events of the past but a call for vigilance against any speech that aims at excluding from the human community one of its components. Such speech must be fought and firmly rejected.

With people of goodwill, from all origins, in the name of the victims’ inalienable dignity, the ACO Fellowship wants to be a witness to what happened then, which broke so many human lives. It also wants to be a witness to Christ, who calls the whole of humanity to a reconciled life.

The ACO-Fellowship invites all its member churches, as well as other churches and local communities in the Middle East and in the western countries, to devote one Sunday to the Commemoration of this event in 2015, either around April 24 or on the traditional Day of the Golden Rule (the 2nd Advent), or at any other moment according to each community’s own wish and pace.

On behalf of the Executive Committee of the ACO Fellowship,
Rev. Thomas Wild, General Secretary
Evangelical Synod of Iran
Union of Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East
Action Chrétienne en Orient, France
National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon
DM-échange et mission, Switzerland
GZB, Netherland

¹ In 1995, ACO-France worked in the Middle East with the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon (NESSL), the Union of Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE), and the Evangelical Synod of Iran; in Europe, with the Dutch churches through the missionary body called GZB, and with the French-speaking Swiss churches through their missionary department, called DM-échange et mission.

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